Madаm Yuаn was deеply dissаtisfiеd with hеr dаughtеr's tоne upоn hearing this.
After all, she wаs thе onе who саrriеd hеr for tеn mоnths аnd gаvе birth to hеr. Why was she siding with thе оld ladу?
Could this be thе bitter cоnsequenсе оf hаving аbаndоned her tо thе old lаdу's сarе sincе сhildhood?
Маdam Yuаn said indignantly, "Whаt do you, а mаrriеd daughtеr, know? I have аlrеаdy рrоmisеd Sесоnd Mаdаm Fang tо betrоth A-Xuаn to уоur fоurth unclе. Nоw уоur grandmother is gоing back on her word. Нow am I supрosed tо eхрlain this tо our relatives? Don’t you know how much this will hurt A-Xuan and the Fang family?"
Such an accusation was too severe.
Moreover, she simply did not believe her grandmother would ever go back on her word!
Cheng Zheng had no choice but to ask, "When did Grandmother ever agree to let Fourth Uncle marry A-Xuan?"
Her daughter’s questioning only fueled Madam Yuan’s anger. "Weren’t you there that day? Madam Liao and I kept praising A-Xuan, and Second Madam Fang personally agreed to let A-Xuan accompany your grandmother to watch the opera…"
Cheng Zheng couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.
So Madam Liao was involved too!
Both were women from the Fang family.
Why couldn’t her mother ever distinguish between what was primary and what was secondary?
"That’s right!" Cheng Zheng said. "I was there! I saw how Second Madam Fang was practically desperate to form a marriage alliance with the Cheng family immediately. But does that mean the Cheng family must marry off to anyone who wants to? What would that make our Cheng family? A vegetable garden gate, where anyone can come and go as they please? Weren’t you there too? Did Grandmother say anything? Did she promise the Fang family anything? How can you accuse Grandmother of going back on her word? Besides, with Grandfather gone, Fourth Uncle’s marriage should naturally be decided by Grandmother. You may recommend suitable candidates to her, but whether Grandmother and Fourth Uncle agree is their business. How can you overstep your authority? Did Grandmother interfere in Jiashan’s affairs? Could she interfere in Xiao Jie’er’s marriage?
"Not only did Grandmother not interfere, but she also told you several times that the Cheng family does not necessarily have to form a marriage alliance with the Min family. Did you listen? But did Grandmother ever summon Father to insist that you find another match for Jiashan? She was only afraid that a daughter-in-law who entered the household might not please you, making things difficult for the young lady and putting Jiashan in an awkward position.
"Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire!
"Mother, it would be best if you meddled less in matters over at Chaoyang Gate from now on!"
Cheng Zheng spoke these last words with great solemnity.
Madam Yuan was so furious she nearly spat blood.
This was the fine daughter she had raised!
She didn’t even understand the most basic filial piety.
She would only be satisfied once she had driven her mother to death!
Pointing at the door, she shouted loudly, "Get out! Get as far away from here as you can! If you don’t care for this maternal home, I don’t care for a daughter like you either!" Then, unable to contain herself, she raised her voice even higher, "Wasn’t your marriage decided by your grandmother? If I had known it would come to this, I would have married you off to the Fang family back then!"
Cheng Zheng was deeply wounded by her mother’s words.
Tears welled in her eyes as she said solemnly, "Mother, my marriage was decided by Grandfather. At the time, he asked for your opinion, and you said you wanted to marry me into the Fang family. But Grandmother sent someone to investigate, and it turned out that the young master from the Fang family had a hidden illness. He has been gone for nearly ten years now. If I had been married off according to your wishes, I would likely be a widow by now."
Madam Yuan’s face was filled with shock.
How did her daughter know about this?
Her mouth hung open, and for a long while, she could not utter a single sound.
Heartbroken, Cheng Zheng turned and left with a flick of her sleeve.At the corner of the covered walkway, Cheng Xu slowly emerged.
He recalled the scene when he saw her at his grandmother's birthday banquet.
The incident in the garden seemed to have left no impact on her.
She appeared even more beautiful.
And radiant.
Like a polished jade, finally emitting a soft, luminous glow.
Yet now, she was to marry Fourth Uncle.
That Fourth Uncle whom he had looked up to since childhood.
Why had it come to this?
What had gone wrong in all of this?
Cheng Xu slowly entered the main room.
The maids and elderly servants attending inside had all disappeared somewhere. Madam Yuan was alone, lying face down on the pillow by the window on the large kang, sobbing softly.
Cheng Xu watched silently for a while before tiptoeing forward and patting his mother’s shoulder.
Madam Yuan immediately grabbed her son’s hand as if clutching a lifeline. She said urgently, "Your elder sister, the older she gets, the more disobedient she becomes. She even dared to criticize me. Your grandmother..."
In the past, he had always felt his mother was pitiful.
Born into a prestigious family, she had eagerly married his father out of affection. Both his eldest and second elder sisters had grown up under their grandmother’s care, their personalities and mannerisms resembling Old Madam Guo’s. In their words and actions, there was always a subtle hint of looking down on their mother. His father, serving as an official away from home for years, left only him to accompany his mother.
But his grandmother was different.
She was strong-willed and resolute. Neither his father nor his uncles, not even the elder of the second branch, Cheng Xu, could gain any advantage in front of her.
So even when his mother had broken her promise to him, and he had inwardly complained endlessly, he had never hated her.
But this time, as if suddenly losing patience, he couldn’t help but interrupt his mother, saying, "Mother, please don’t argue with Eldest Sister and Second Sister anymore. They are both married daughters now. Helping the family is a matter of affection; not helping is also their right. If you scold them like this, even the servants in the household will start to treat them with disrespect."
Madam Yuan’s tears, which had just subsided, welled up again. She said sorrowfully, "You ungrateful child! How can you side with outsiders like this? They can come back if they want, or stay away if they don’t. Do I have to beg them? If it weren’t for the Cheng family, could they have married into such good families? Let them all stay away. See if I’ll ever go begging to them."
Cheng Xu’s expression turned gloomy.
Perhaps only his father could comfort his mother and make her happy?
Cheng Chi remained silent.
Seeing that no one responded, and having vented her frustrations through her outburst, Madam Yuan’s grievances and resentment mostly dissipated, and her emotions gradually calmed down.
After hesitating for a moment, Cheng Xu asked his mother, "Is Cousin Shaojin from the Zhou family really going to marry Uncle Chi?"
Hearing this, Madam Yuan’s temper flared up again. In her agitation, she slipped on her shoes and got off the kang, saying, "I must go to Chaoyang Gate to see. Your grandmother has gone too far this time. What’s wrong with A’xuan? How could your grandmother choose the second young lady of the Zhou family? Doesn’t she know..." At this point, she abruptly stopped, her expression turning somewhat awkward—she had been so focused on complaining about Old Madam Guo that she had forgotten her son had once admired Zhou Shaojin...
Cheng Xu smiled bitterly and comforted his mother, "It’s fine. Grandmother is right. When I had the chance, I didn’t strive hard enough to win her. Now that the opportunity is gone, I shouldn’t harbor futile hopes. I was just asking. I never expected it..."
A flicker of sorrow passed through his eyes.Madam Yuan began belittling Zhou Shaojin once more: "Apart from her pretty face, what else does she have? When she grows old and loses her looks, you'll understand that a woman relying on beauty to please others is never a lasting strategy. In the end, it's character, knowledge, upbringing, and family background that matter..."
Cheng Chi didn't want to hear any of this.
He said gently, "Mother, shall I accompany you to see Grandmother? What about the Fang family matter? I'm afraid you'll still need to discuss it with Grandmother."
Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain things to the Fang family!
Madam Yuan's face instantly darkened like storm clouds.
Cheng Xu accompanied Madam Yuan to Old Madam Guo's place.
Cheng Zheng went directly to Cheng Xiao's residence.
She arrived without sending a notice beforehand.
Cheng Xiao hurriedly welcomed Cheng Zheng into the inner chamber.
Cheng Zheng didn't beat around the bush and directly told her younger sister about Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin's engagement.
It took Cheng Xiao a while to process this, but once she did, she laughed and said, "Uncle Chi must have had his eye on Shaojin for a long time, otherwise he wouldn't have asked us to keep her company." Then she added with a troubled expression, "Shaojin hasn't even had her coming-of-age ceremony yet, has she? Making me call a girl who hasn't had her ceremony 'aunt'—I'll need to think carefully before I can say it!"
Cheng Zheng chided her, "Is that all you're thinking about?"
"What else should I think about?" Cheng Xiao, unaware of what happened in the garden, replied candidly with a smile, "Since the elders have already decided, would it change just because we oppose it? Instead of harboring resentment and dissatisfaction all day, it's better to think it through ourselves and happily join in the elders' joy! Besides, I think Shaojin has a very good temperament. When she becomes Mother's sister-in-law in the future, she definitely won't compete with Mother over anything. Family harmony leads to prosperity in all endeavors. Perhaps Grandmother is satisfied with this match for that very reason."
"You're quite broad-minded!" Cheng Zheng remarked, not without sarcasm, but her mood gradually calmed down.
She told her younger sister about her argument with Madam Yuan.
Perhaps because she was the eldest daughter, Cheng Zheng had a strong personality. Mother and daughter sometimes inevitably clashed.
Cheng Xiao comforted her, "Mother's temper is just like that. Don't take it too seriously." Then she shifted the topic back to Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin. "Jiashan's wedding is set for the second month. I wonder when Uncle Chi's wedding will be? Mother asked me the other day to inquire about good chefs. For Jiashan's wedding, she wants to use chefs from the south. We didn't know about Uncle Chi's wedding before, but now that we do, shouldn't we ask about it? Shall I go with you to Chaoyang Gate later? Let's see if Grandmother needs any help—Mother is busy with Jiashan's wedding, and with A Xuan's matter mixed in, she might not be able to fully assist Grandmother. Second Aunt is someone who shouldn't be overworked, and Grandmother is getting on in years. If we don't step up to help and Grandmother exhausts herself, what would we do?"
Thinking this way, both sisters began to feel sympathy for Old Madam Guo.
Cheng Zheng and Cheng Xiao went to Chaoyang Gate together.
Old Madam Guo and Madam Yuan were talking inside the room, with all the attendants dismissed. Only Cheng Xu stood under the corridor eaves.Madam Yuan said one thing, and Old Madam Guo replied with another. Remarks like, "If you hadn’t reminded me back then that Ah Xuan was a good match, I wouldn’t have thought of Shaojin as a suitable candidate either," or "You’re a woman yourself—how can you say Shaojin is unreliable just because Jiashan once liked her? We’ve already exchanged betrothal documents with the Zhou family and sent the betrothal gifts. Shaojin is now your sister-in-law, your equal as a wife in this household. You must watch your words. Insulting her means insulting the Cheng family and insulting yourself." Then came, "If you favored Ah Xuan, why didn’t you speak up earlier? You’ve been back in the capital for over two months, haven’t you?" and "What else have you done behind my back? If you dare to act, you should dare to take responsibility. Don’t expect me to swallow my pride and apologize to the Fang family on your behalf!"
In just four or five exchanges, Madam Yuan was left speechless by Old Madam Guo.
Cheng Xu sighed inwardly.
His mother would likely never have the chance to outshine his grandmother in this lifetime.
※
Dear readers, here’s an extra update for those who don’t love VIP but still appreciate it.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: You can check for updates tomorrow morning.
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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